Conclave 'opens up a new future,' Canada's Cardinal Ouellet tells CBC

( March 06, 2013) Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops said the conclave "opens up a new future" for the church and is a responsibility the cardinals see as "their main task." In a Canadian Broadcasting Corp. interview on Monday (March 4,) he said the cardinals are all considering the meaning of the "extraordinary decision of Pope Benedict" to resign and understanding that decision's impact on the church. When asked if he considered himself a possible contender for pope, the Canadian cardinal, one of the 115 cardinal electors, said he is "just trying to live day after day in obedience to God and his word," fulfilling his duties and leaving the next day to God. He said all of the cardinals have to be ready to take on the role as leader of the church. "We have to be, to some extent, prepared," he said, but noted that as far as thinking about it personally, he would cross the river when he got to the bridge, and we are not there.
Cardinal Ouellet noted that there had been a focus on European popes for centuries but that today it would not be a surprise for a pope to come from Asia, Africa or America. The Canadian cardinal also reiterated the often-repeated saying about the conclave: "He who goes in a pope comes out a cardinal."
In response to a question about the church's response to the sex abuse scandal, the cardinal said: "We have learned from our mistakes," stressing the need to "listen carefully to victims" and focus first on them. He also noted that the issue of abuse is not just a "Catholic problem; it is a human problem" and hopes that efforts to combat it by the Catholic Church, although not perfect, "could be also of example for others
in society."